Baby, that city was electric!': when the Houston Comets ruled the WNBA

"Fran Harris remembers a late-night dinner in Sacramento. Her Houston Comets squad had just dispatched the lowly Monarchs by 10 points. To celebrate, she and a few teammates, including Cynthia Cooper, Tammy Jackson and Kim Perrot, decided to grab a bite. Cooper had scored 44 in the 25 July 1997 contest, and her talents dazzled even her dinner companions. I said to Cynthia, I just cannot believe how great you're playing and I know how great you are!' Harris tells the Guardian. And she goes, I know!' She was just, like, Yeah, I'm the motherfucker! I was like, You absolutely are!'"

"But when the WNBA began in the summer of 1997, she was already 34. In fact, her entire Houston Comets team, who would win the league's first championship as well as the next three were predicted to finish last by many ahead of the inaugural campaign. (They could get a chance to add to their tally: on Wednesday the WNBA confirmed a franchise will return to Houston in 2027, 19 years after the original Comets folded.) They were very unimpressed with our roster for some reason, says Harris, now a television analyst for the WNBA's Dallas Wings."

"The Comets were an older team when the league began. But age can help when it comes to winning trophies. And though the Comets weren't only comprised of vets they boasted the first-ever No 1 draft pick, Tina Thompson, and 26-year-old star Sheryl Swoopes, who joined later in the season after giving birth to her son, Jordan the reputation was hard to shake. People just thought our team was too old to compete, says Yolanda Moore, who was fresh out of college at the time, and a mother of two. They thought"

Fran Harris recalls a late-night Sacramento dinner after the Houston Comets beat the Monarchs by 10 points. Cynthia Cooper’s 44-point performance impressed teammates during the celebration. Cooper had already played in Europe after winning college championships at USC and entered the WNBA at age 34 when the league began in summer 1997. The Comets were widely predicted to finish last, with skepticism about an older roster. The team included veterans and top talent such as Tina Thompson, the first-ever No. 1 draft pick, and Sheryl Swoopes, who joined after giving birth. Despite doubts, the Comets went on to win the league’s first championship and the next three.

Read at www.theguardian.com